Heimer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. MANNHEIMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TABLE-FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,093, dated May 1, 1860.

To all 07mm it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM MANN- HEIMER, of the city, county, andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Forks;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, makingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view;Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of my improved fork.

The nature 0f my improvement consists in providing a fork with a hollowhandle containing a spiral spring attached to the same at one end and atthe other to an additional sprong or member by which pieces stuck on thepoints of the fork may be removed without the use of any additionalinstrument or without the use of the hand.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the annexed drawing A represents the hollow handle; B, the spiralscrew; C, the knob or button; D, the usual sprongs of the fork; E, theadditional member or sprong; F, the hook by means of which it isconneoted with the usual sprongs. The additional member E is hinged orpivoted at n in such a manner that when unhooked it may be turned downand cleaned.

The spiral spring B is fastened at 0 to the frame of the hollow handleand at the opposite side to the knob C and to part of the additionalsprong in such a manner that when the knob C is shoved forward theadditional sprong E will also move forward to the end of the points ofthe fork as indicated by the red lines of Fig. l.

If a piece of meat or any other piece is pierced on the points thisforward movement of the additional member will shove the said piece fromthe said points, and as soon as the pressure on the knob C ceases thespiral spring will contract and will draw the additional member or guardinto its original position.

This fork may be applied either to carving forks or to plate forks forthe purpose of easily removing any pieces that may remain on the ends ofthe sprongs. Then applied to carving forks, the knob C may be usedeither as a guard or the additional sprong may be made to supply theguard or a guard may be added to the construction as herein described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim therein as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The combination of a hollow handle A with a spring B, knob C, andadditional member or sprong E substantially as described for the purposeaforesaid.

Dated New York March 26, 1860.

IVM. MANNHEIMER.

Iitnesses CHS. VVEHLE, TUI.. WEHLE.

